Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-04-21

returned down the Yazoo, at every
possible point where the river coald
be reached there were througs of ne
gro families waiting to be taken away.
Many Of them had fat boats in which
they were already embarked. ready
to fasten line to the returning Fed
eral boats and be towed down the
river and to freedom.
/ remember one instance connected
with this hegira that was somewhat
out OF the usual course of events. At
one point where the Silver Wave
halted there was an immense eucamp.
ment Of negroes with their scanty fur
niture waiting for removal. Attached
to the shore was large flatboat, which
lay just at the stern Of the steamer.
l happened to be lounging in that
portion Of the boat, and was attracted
by the character of the contents of
the fatboat. There We're at least
twenty colored people in it, OF all
ages and both sexes. In the stern
sat venerable African, who at once
attracted my attention. He had a
heavy beard and very thick hair,
which with his dense eyebrows, were
as white as wool. There was some
thing noble and impressive in his face
and position, and interest in him was
increased as saw that he was sight
less. He was grand as he sat there;
grand 10 his years, which must have
been close to century; grand in the
immobility Of his countenance, the re-
pose of his position, in his helpless
blindness. and in a perceptible ex-
preston of patience and hope that
characterized his features.
The other people in that boat were
probably his descendants. There was
white headed woman who was his
daughter. then stalwart man and a
woman who must have been his grand
children and then a host Of children
of all ages from 90 down to little
pickaninny lying on its back that
sucked its thumb, kicked up its heels
and gazed with it's black, bead-Iike
eyes into vacancy. They were all
chattering laughing, screaming in the
exuberance of their delight. Freedom
was before them and the world was
ablaze with the glory of anticipation.
Only the patriarch was silent; to him
there perhaps mingled with the
hope Of the future a recollection
Of the old home and the old life.
The deep grown roots of his existence
could not be easily extracted from
the soil of the South, and yet there
was a glow upon his face such as must
have come over the faces of the wan
deriug tribes as they stood on Nebo
and their weary eyes took III the
spreading fields and fertile plains of
the promised land.
A line was dropped from the deck
Of the steamer to the flatboat and made
fast. The next moment the wheel be-
gan TO revolve. 1t threw back waves
which enveloped the fatboat, ard
then, as the speed increased, the fat
bow of the latter was drawn under,
and the entire boat with all its hu-
man freight, its infancy, its years. it's
hopes. disappeared under the green
ish waters of the Yazoo AS far as I
could see the locality | watched for
some sign Of the engulfed unfortu-
mates, but not even rag, fragment
OF any kind came to the surface.
The cruel waters held them fast, and
not even a ripple disturbed the placid
surface above their place of disap-
pearance.
Nothing that I saw during the war
shocked me as did this occurrence.
Rescue was impossible the boat did
not even stop. 1t steamed swiftly
away, and felt in my heart that
and humber Moses had died
at the moment Of anticipated deliver